The present invention relates generally to electronic price labels. More particularly, the invention relates to techniques for attaching an electronic price label to an electronic theft prevention tag and securing the combined electronic price label to a product.
Electronic price labels are convenient and widely used. By using electronic price labels and associated broadcasting systems, a retailer can broadcast information such as price information about a product to each of a plurality of labels and can update the information transmitted to a label or a group of labels by changing the information being broadcast, without a need to go to each label in order to remove it or change it. The label is able to change its display as new information is broadcast and to display the new information being transmitted.
Relatively high value products often have theft prevention devices, such as electronic tags, attached to them. Typically, a plastic tag with any of a variety of security features is securely attached to a product and requires the use of a specially designed retailer operated device for its removal. The tag may emit signals or fields which are detectable when the tag passes a sensor, resulting in the sounding of an alarm. For example, if a customer proceeds out of the store without paying for a protected article, the tag is detected at the exit of the store and store personnel are alerted in a well-known fashion. If an electronic price label could be secured to a theft prevention tag, both the tag and the label could be attached as a unit to a product, allowing electronic transmission of price and other desired information and its display using the label, while simultaneously allowing theft prevention provided by the tag. Only one attachment to the product would be required.
An electronic price label according to an aspect of the present invention preferably includes a preferably plastic housing enclosing a display and other electronic components within the label. The display and other electronic components allow the label to receive and display broadcast or otherwise electronically transmitted product and price information. Attached to the housing is an extension which can be secured to a theft prevention tag. The tag serves to hold the extension, and thus the label, in place when the tag is secured to a product. The extension may suitably be a relatively flat plastic piece having a hole near one end of the extension. The hole allows the plastic piece to be penetrated by a pin such as may be included in many popular theft prevention tags. Such a tag frequently includes a first and a second portion with a pin passing from the first portion to the second portion when the tag is secured in place. The pin passes through the product to which the tag is secured, and when an electronic label according to the present invention is secured to such a tag and the tag is secured to a product, the pin passes from the first portion of the tag through the hole in the extension of the electronic price label, through the product, and into the second portion of the tag. Both the tag and the label are thus held securely in place.
Securing the label to a theft prevention tag and then securing the tag and label to an article provides numerous advantages in many retail environments. In clothing stores, clothing prices are often displayed on paper tags which may be difficult for a consumer to find. The weight of a theft prevention tag, however, tends to reveal its location on an article, and if an electronic price label is secured to a theft prevention tag, the price label can be found by locating the theft prevention tag.
In addition, paper tags may fall off of articles of clothing, and articles of clothing may become rearranged or misplaced, because of handling of the articles and trying on of the articles by customers who then abandon the articles or return them to incorrect racks or bins. The misplacement of articles of clothing tends to create confusion, especially if some articles of clothing are discounted while other similar items are undiscounted or subject to different discounts. Often, the price labels on products are not changed every time the product is discounted, and the fact that a product has been discounted is made known to customers by a sign on a rack or bin. If an article of clothing is misplaced, a customer may be misled about the true price of the article. Enclosing an electronic label within a theft prevention tag provides a securely attached price label and also makes it possible to easily change price labels on clothing to reflect current pricing including any discounts.
A more complete understanding of the present invention, as well as further features and advantages of the invention, will be apparent from the following Detailed Description and the accompanying drawings.